Chronicles
by TechnicolorNoize
Summary: A series of encounters between a teenagers in the apocalypse. Proving that even in the apocalypse, the world is a small place filled with coincidence and chance encounters.
1. Jefferson City, Nevada

Author's Note: So I watched Z Nation a while back, but I restarted it recently. This idea has been rolling around in my head for a while, it is part of a series of three separate but connecting one-shots, as the same characters are the focus in all of them. I decided to go ahead and post the first part tonight, expect the others fairly quickly. Also can I just say, I need the fourth season... like yesterday... Okay awkward author's moment over. Enjoy.

* * *

Being fourteen is hard, being fourteen at the start of the apocalypse is harder. Ashlyn never blamed her family for the hard choices they were forced to make those first two years, but she did blame them for dying. For leaving her alone in the middle of a literal hell on earth. She wasn't sure how she had made it as far as Nevada, and she hadn't even really been sure where in Nevada she was when she stumbled upon Sir. Sir owned a hotel that was well secured with a large amount of trade and man power, it was the perfect place to stay or so he made it out to be when he offered Ashlyn the opportunity.

It was true compared to many of the women who lived there. She was treated well, fed daily, given clothing, and her own room with a bed. It was more than most could even dream of in the apocalypse.

However she could admit she was tired of waking up with a Sir's arm draped over her waist, his touch on her bare skin. He had been doing this for about the last three months, the same night Shelly convinced him that Ash was finally old enough to take up business herself. It was the same night Shelly was rejected by a well off patron who snubbed the entire establishment when he found out the girl he wanted was not for sale due to her age. That putting something on that display but not offering the product was no way to run a business, even in the end.

Ashlyn attempted to push herself from the bed without waking Sir. "Babydoll," his voice sent a cold tingle down her spine, she hated to admit it but she was afraid of him. "Where are you going?"

"It's morning, I thought I would go fetch you some breakfast," the lie rolled of her tongue as it had every morning that month.

"You wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, right babydoll." She knew what he meant, and it sickened her. The man who had offered her a safe life now used that to his advantage.

She leaned over his body and pressed her lips gently against his cheek. "Of course not, Sir." She said as she pulled away and grabbed her over sized shirt she used to cover the outfits he made them wear for work. It was essentially spandex shorts and some form of bra, it was what all the women wore that lived in the small hotel. She pulled her arms into the sleeves one at a time and wrapped it tightly around her body.

"Send that new red-head in when you leave, Babydoll." He said rolling back over in the bed that he had moved her too recently. Her old room was down the hall and it was where most of her clothes and few personal belongings were stored. Unlike most of the girls she never had to share this room, at first because she reminded Sir of what he wanted in a daughter, then what he wanted in a mistress.

She stepped into her room to change into what she would wear for the show that day, just like every other day. It had been laid out by Shelly during some point in the night and she never questioned it, just cleaned off her body and placed the garments on her skin.

* * *

Today had been pretty routine in their trip westward in 10k's opinion. The small exception was that today in Nevada they had saved a truck driven by this showy bastard that insisted he return the favor to his new "friends", the man had even adopted 10k to be his "best friend" supposedly. If 10k was left in charge of decision making they would have left the man and went on their way after saving him, however Warren and Doc were right, they needed supplies and this man promised a large trading post, failing to mention it looked like a run down hotel. They walked into the lobby and though it was turning into dusk outside the inside seemed darker, however the bar was well lit with actual lighting.

"Damn, you guys have power?" Doc asked as they walked into the building with the man. Warren on edge, keeping her hand on her hip holster.

The man smiled as he lead them towards the bar, "solar panels, we also have running water, not always hot but it does the trick."

"Like a shower?" Addy chimed in. 10k couldn't deny that he often found himself missing the simple things that he had never thought of before, like the smell of shampoo.

"Of course, I'll get Shelly to arrange the rooms for you, the room and food is free, any entertainment you all might care to indulge in will cost you. The girls set their own rates," The man had told them to call him Sir, saying that as a professional he preferred to go by that name it was only when they arrived that Warren had pieced it together.

"Your trading post is a brothel." Warren said tightening her grip on her pistol.

"The girls bring in more hard to find commodities than anything else. Everyone can get booze, drugs, guns, but an evening of fun with a beautiful woman, much harder to come by." The man said smiling ear to ear, perhaps it wasn't the best idea to save the truck.

Addy began whispering to Warren about having a place to stay that was somewhere aside from the truck for even just a night would be worth the slight delay, they were all getting worn out from the constant running and perhaps one night of rest would be worth it, after all Murphy was clearly already making himself comfortable, sitting at one of the bar stools and smiling at the bartender who didn't seem to mind his blue skin. Doc seemed to also like the idea of rest in the brothel, though 10k couldn't be sure of his motives as to why, but the large glass jars of random pills and drugs behind the bar could have been a factor. It was only Vasquez who seemed to speak against the idea, Warren took a moment to ask 10k of his opinion to which he admitted the idea of getting to sleep without listening to Murphy snoring loudly was extremely tempting. When it had been decided that they would stay Warren sat at the bar and told the man he owed them all a drink.

It was then the lighting around seemed to dim. "Sure, but enjoy the show too. After all I feel I owe the kid down there something special, keep an eye out for something you like boy." The man said with a wink that sent cold shivers down his spine, he couldn't have meant what 10k's mind went too, though Doc believed he did with the elbow 10k received into his rib cage. He glanced over to Addy who just smirked and shook her head as she picked up the cup of hooch the man had set out for her. Just a few weeks earlier Addy had given him a pack of condoms and now he felt like it was the groups mission to get him laid instead of get Murphy to California.

10k was shocked when he saw that everyone's attention in the room seemed to go towards the makeshift stage they had built on the other side of the lobby, it had three poles running up from it at multiple points, this was someplace he never imagined he would end up in the apocalypse, a strip club.

"Ladies and gentleman," a woman's voice announced over some crude speakers. "Please sit back and relax, let our girls provide some much needed entertainment to your dismal lives." The music that started playing was never the type of music 10k found himself listening too, it had strong bass and drums a few different girls came out onto the stage then, a red head that went towards the left, a blonde who went towards the right and a woman who was older holding a microphone. "New patrons, quickly allow me to explain our house rules. Break them and our gentlemen at the doors break you. Number one, all things come at a price to be paid up front. Number two, if you see something you'd like payment may be taken at the bar. Number three, remember rule number one. Now allow me to introduce our local sharpshooter, Babydoll!" The woman grinned as a fourth girl walked onto the stage, she unlike the other girls was slightly more clothed. She was wearing black combat boots and shorts that barely covered her ass showing off the full length of her legs. Her top half was covered by a tight fitting jacket that had been cut off above her midriff leaving her entire flat stomach exposed. These weren't the things that drew 10k's attention to her, it was the fact that around her hips hung a loose belt with a pistol in a holster and her leg also had a small holster with yet another pistol. As she walked further out on the stage 10k finally looked her over completely, her dark hair hanging over her shoulders, her piercing crystal eyes darkened by black makeup around them, and the war paint across her cheeks. 10K must have been staring because he yet again felt Doc's elbow hit his rib rudely, 10k spun around to face away from the stage and grabbed the glass that must have been meant for him seeing as it was the only still on the bar.

10k met Doc's glance as the older man looked at the boy who seemed to be embarrassed to watch the women on the stage. "Come on kid, don't be like that..." Doc seemed to laugh. 10K only turned back around because he heard the sound of shattering glass, the girl on stage had one of her pistols pulled out and was pulling it back towards her as cheer erupted from the crowd, she had shot one of the men closer to the front's glass on his table, it had of course shattered. She holstered the gun as she placed her other hand on the pole to her left and swung herself around it. She moved with such ease and grace, it seemed off that she had the weaponry, unlike the girls on the other sides of the stage. The music changed pace a bit, sounding heavier than what had been playing earlier as she seemed to control the gaze of every man and most of the women in the audience. She leaned over, accentuating her ass as she pulled a knife out of her boot and tossed it across the stage past the blonde and hitting a marked target on the wall. 10K began to realize her performance unlike the others on the stage wasn't meant to be as strictly provocative. She seemed to be a niche that seemed to draw everyone's attention, she was what was necessary to survive in the apocalypse. She was deadly.

It was only when he saw her making her way off the front of the stage and a new girl came out to replace her in the middle did he even realize he had been watching her every movement so intently, her body gleamed as she walked past him to get to the bar next to him. "Sir back yet?" She asked the woman behind the bar, who nodded and placed a tray with a bottle of dark alcohol and empty glasses on it.

"You take that to table three, I'll get you Sir." The woman said as the younger girl sighed. 10K noticed that she was a lot younger than she initially appeared when she was on the stage, he believed she couldn't be much older than himself if even that old. The girl disappeared as quickly as she appeared with the tray making her way across the room to deliver the tray.

"Kid, you're drooling." Doc said poking fun at 10k as he turned back towards the bar setting his glass down signaling the bar tender for another. The woman looked curiously at Doc when the man they had saved places a back on her back and nodded, she proceeded to refill the glass. "Thank you." Doc said with a smile that left the woman with an unamused expression.

The older man they had saved came up and sat in the stool next to 10k. "See anything of interest kid? Or are you not into that kind of thing, no judgment of course we all have unique tastes."

"He was staring at Babydoll." The bartender said as listened into the men's conversation. "Why not give her to him? Get her some experience, maybe then she'd actually be worth a damn." The bartender clearly wasn't a fan of the girl they kept calling Babydoll.

"I don't want..." 10k started to say as he saw the man's expression change from happy to angry.

"Shelly are those rooms ready?" The man asked the bartender failing to hide his anger, she put down the glass she was drying and reached behind her and handed him some keys.

"Three suites," The woman behind the bar said as 'Babydoll' came back to the bar setting the tray down next to Sir. "Baby can show them to their rooms." She insisted as the man continued to glare at her, for some reason this seemed to calm his temper.

"Of course, Baby, show our guests to their rooms, and please if you all need anything feel free to let someone know. You are my guests for the evening." He said back in his joyous tone. 10K began to wonder about the man's mental health as the girl took the keys from him. She smiled as she waited for the group to gather. The man leaned over and seem to whisper something distinctly to her that made her bite her lip and look straight at 10k. "Enjoy yourselves, but do remember the water doesn't stay hot long."

The girl lead them over to the end of a hallway that was off the lobby. "Sorry, the elevators pull to much power during show hours. You are free to use them in the morning but after dusk they are out of order." She said as she held open the doors to the stairs. "We are going to the second floor so it's not like its a far walk." She said as Doc took the door from her, allowing her to actually lead the group. "There is usually a hostess stationed at the end of each hall, she'll be able to get you anything you may need." She said as she climbed the stairs, her shorts creeping up with each step, Murphy didn't even attempt to hide that he was looking as he almost ran straight into Doc who also seemed to be quite a bit of attention to the girl leading them. She opened the door to the second floor, upon opening the door another girl appeared to come through to hold the door open, she wasn't as dolled up as Babydoll but she was still quite pretty and under dressed, which made Murphy smile as he passed her. "This is the first suite, Sir asked I give it to you ladies, he wasn't sure if their were any couples though if the arrangements are not to your liking please let Alice know at the end of the hall." She said using the key to open a door to their left, it was a typical suite at a hotel before the apocalypse, two queen sized beds and a small couch. "Now if you men will follow me I'll show you to your room." Warren made sure to put her hand on 10k's shoulder telling him it would be okay for the one night to be separated.

Half way down the hall they stopped at another door. "I'm sorry I don't actually know any of your names but this room is for you three." She said pointing to Vasquez and Doc, again opening the door to reveal a room similar to the first that Addy and Warren had been given. "The couch is a pull out. It is a lot comfier than it seems, I promise."

"What about the kid?" Doc asked with concern.

"Sir seemed to insist he needed to receive his own room. Plus the last room key is a single, so you'd have to share a bed." She said with a straight face.

"I really don't..." 10k began, when Murphy interrupted him.

"I'll take it if he doesn't..."

"No way Murphy, you are with me." Vasquez insisted. "Kid, you'll be okay on your own right?"

"If you aren't just come back you know where we are," Doc said with a reassuring smile.

"Are you all done deciding who goes where, because I hate to be like this but I kind of have don't make anything when I am up here playing hostess." The girl said interrupting the men. "Sorry," she said with a shrug as she crossed her arms over her chest that seemed to be holding Murphy's attention. "Remember Alice is at the end of the hall for all your needs." She stated again her attention fully on Murphy. Vasquez pushed Murphy inside the room telling him not to get any ideas as Doc pulled the key out of the door and smiled as 10k. 10K swallowed hard as he began to follow the girl back down the hall. "Sorry but you are actually on the fourth floor." She said as they passed by Alice at the end of the hallway who blew a kiss to 10k with a wink. The women here were actually making him more nervous than being surrounded by Zs. "You can ignore the girls if you want, most of them make most of their points from desperate men. Playfulness goes a long way to being picked, and charging the sorry bastards more." She while they walked alone in the staircase up two more floors. "Typically we don't have people on this floor but we are running out of space this evening. So, it should be fairly quiet up here." She said as she held the door open for him on the floor. She accompanied him to the door and opened it for him and handed him the key. "Is there anything else you need? Hungry, thirsty, whatever?" She asked as he peered inside of the room, it was smaller than the two earlier rooms, just a single bed and instead of basic furnishing their was actually things on the desk. He shook his head as he entered the room, he walked towards the bed as he heard the door close. He turned around to see her standing inside the room with him.

"What are you doing?" He asked as his hand went towards the holster on his side.

"Please don't freak out, it's just on the desk. That teddy bear, it's a camera, please don't look at it. I have a job I am suppose to do so I am going to take my jacket off and throw it on the thing. Then I can leave or whatever but I need him to think I'm in here, okay?" Her voice sounded more stressed than she had the entire time. She unzipped the leather half jacket she was wearing and approached him, tossing her jacket in the direction of the desk, successfully knocking the bear over but not covering it like she had planned. He saw that she cursed lightly as she stood close enough that he could smell the sweetness of her hair.

He looked down at her, "is someone really watching?" He asked as he tossed his rifle off his shoulder and onto the bed behind them, making sure his face couldn't be scene behind her.

"Yeah," she breathed as she stood in front of him, he backed up and sat on the bed for a moment as he thought about what to do.

"Why?" He asked as he looked her body over from toe to head, noticing that beneath the jacket she was only wearing a black lacey bra.

"To make sure I do my job." She said as she ran her hand through her hair.

"Which is?" He asked.

"Seduce you." She answered.

10k's eyes didn't leave hers after his initial examination of her body. He stood and shrugged off his jacket as he did so. He walked up to her and tossed his jacket in the same direction as hers however his actually made the mark and covered the bear, he had stopped just short of her, again close enough he could smell her sweet perfume. "Some sharpshooter, you couldn't even his a teddy bear." He teased with a smile. 

"I'm a sharpshooter not a stripper. Had you asked Ariel or Gretchen they would have hit the target easily." She said smiling up at him, he had to admit the temptation to just lean down and place his lips roughly against hers was harder to resist than he cared to admit. He was a hormonal teenager after all, apocalypse or not, but he also knew she was only in there because some man was telling her she had to be.

He turned away from her and tossed himself onto the bed. "Want a shower? The tap in this room is a bit finicky," she said as he walked over to the closet and pulled out a long sleeved men's shirt.

"How did you know that was in there?" He asked as she pulled it on over her shoulders and wrapped it around her. It covered her shorts which made it look like she wasn't wearing any at all.

She smiled at him as she closed the closet door. "This is my room." She said simply as he seemed to almost jump back off the bed. "Calm down, I don't use it that often. I just store my crap here. Most of the girls have rooms on this floor to store our clothes, clients don't want to see our personal shit when they are here, but Shelly has a sick sense of humor."

"The bartender?" He asked as he leaned back on the bed trying to relax on her bed.

"Yeah." The girl said pulling the desk chair out and sitting in it, crossing her legs over one another. "She's not my biggest fan, I'm too inexperienced and charge too much." She began to pull off her boots as she sat in the chair. "I stand by that shower comment." 10k could tell this girl wasn't like the one who had been in the hallway on the other floor. "You reek, like I get it, end of the world but hygiene is still important."

"Damn, okay I get it." 10k said pushing himself off the bed and walking in front of her towards the bathroom turning on the light seeing a relatively clean bathroom, though their was some hair products and make up on the counter by the sink. He pushed the door closed behind him when he heard her ask if he needed help with it, "No, I think I remember how to work a shower."

"Sure don't smell like it." He heard her smooth voice saying outside the door, she was a bit of a bitch almost reminding him of Cassandra when they first met.

He was sure to lock the door before turning on the water and stripping out of his clothing climbing into the warm water, the man downstairs had been right, the water wasn't hot but it did the trick. 10K allowed it to wash over him for probably longer than he should have as he had to actually clean himself using almost freezing water. The problem came when he turned off the water and wrapped himself in the towel. He had dropped his bag inside the door, and as much as he debated it, putting on his Z stained clothes didn't seem like a good choice. He wrapped the towel tightly around his waist as he opened the bathroom door, his bag fell towards his feet, the girl had moved it to against the door but as he looked out into the room he didn't see her anyways. He dragged his bag into the bathroom and shut the door once more as he dug cleaner clothes out of his bag, none of them being all that clean in all honesty.

When he emerged from the bathroom fully clothed the girl was still gone. He dropped his bag next to the bed and picked his rifle up and leaned it against the wall next to the bed, looking over to the desk, the bear still covered with both jackets, with a few new editions of most random clothing the girl had thrown on top. He looked at the bed and saw the once neat linens were now thrown about and one of the pillows had black smears on it. He picked it up as he heard the door open, his first reaction being for reaching quickly for his rifle dropping the pillow back to the bed.

"Don't shoot. Jesus." The girls voice caught his attention before his eyes saw her, she was holding a tray with some fresh cut fruit on it. "I assumed you be hungry, sorry for giving you some privacy." She said sitting the tray on the bed.

"Sorry." He found himself apologizing as he put the rifle back down. "We've been on the road for a while."

"I can tell." She said simply as she sat back down in the office chair that had been at her desk. "Where are you guys from anyways?"

"New York." He said as he sat on the bed and examined the fruit, their cut apples and strawberries something he didn't often get to enjoy.

"Seriously? That's awesome, I haven't met anyone from the eastern half of the US since the start of this shit." He picked up one of the apples and smelled it before biting into it. "I promise I only poisoned the strawberries." She said as leaned over and pulled one of them off and popped one of the strawberries into her mouth. "Don't worry, I've taken the antidote." She smirked at him, he noticed her face was smudged with her makeup had been, she had smudged it on the pillow, though she still hadn't found herself in much more clothing than before. "What's your name?"

"Ten thousand." He responded back picking up some blueberries off the tray.

"Your name is a number?" She questioned.

"Yeah, people call you Babydoll, what's the difference." He asked as he found himself staring at her.

Her smile seemed so genuine when she looked at him. "The difference is I hate that name." She said still leaning forward, he glanced down and saw down her shirt before his eyes quickly darted back up to her eyes. She must have noticed as she rolled her eyes. "Ashlyn, but you can call me Ash. I'm told it's easier to moan." The fact she couldn't even say it without trying to stop herself from laughing set 10k at ease. The man might have intended to give her to him, but she had other plans.

"Most of my group calls me 10k." He said simply as he readjusted himself to lay across the foot of the bed closer to the tray and to her in the chair. "Can I ask you something?"

She again picked up a strawberry. "Shoot, but not literally please, I'd rather not be a Z."

"How old are you?" He asked and he saw her look a little uncomfortable as she leaned back in the chair.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's not polite to ask a woman her age." She said looking away form him and towards the window the curtain had been drawn the entire time, mostly do to the fact the light was on. She stood up and walked over to it, peaking around the corner of the curtain to look outside. "I'm seventeen." She said as she looked back towards him. "You?"

Her question was only fair. "Eighteen I think... I'm not really sure anymore." He was surprised when she began to laugh at his uncertainty, it lead to the next few hours of conversation and laughter something he hadn't done with anyone in years.

"It's getting late, I have a key to the room across the hall... If you need me just come knock..." She said through her words were trailing off as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You don't have to leave..." 10k found himself saying, "I mean it is your room."

"I'm just not good at this..." She said looking at him, he sat up and let his feet touch the floor, he was honestly confused as to what she meant.

She bit her lip and it clicked in his head. He quickly was on his feet. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant... You don't have to leave, I can go downstairs and stay with Doc or Warren." He swallowed hard, as he looked at her, with each passing minute she looked less like that sexy dangerous woman in the show and more like a scared girl.

"No, Sir wouldn't like that. He'd think I didn't do my job." She said as she pulled her shirt tighter around her. "He wants you to choose to stay tomorrow when the rest of your group leaves."

"Why would he want that?" 10k asked her as he approached her by the window.

"We lost a lot of our muscle the last couple months, he wants you and your rifle, but he isn't going to try and make you stay either. He wants you to make that choice."

"Which is why he was so insistent on me having my own room with a girl of my choice." 10k said piecing together the plan of the older man.

"Please don't stay." She said simply looking up at him.

"I don't plan on it." He said simply in return.

With that she turned and headed towards the door and hit the light switch as she opened the door. "One last thing... You chose me?"

"It's hard not to watch you." He said honestly as he saw her silhouette from the hallway light. He could only assume she was smiling as she told him good night and let herself out. He pulled the curtains open now that it was dark and looked out over the vacant street and looked up to see the stars and moon shining brightly, he tried to enjoy it but he knew he had made a mistake. He quickly crossed the room and pulled the door open to see her still unlocking the door across the hall. He put a hand on her shoulder and she spun around. He wasn't sure what took control of him as his hand found its way under her chin and pulled her mouth up so his lips could find them easier. Her arms went around his neck without any protest as his other hand wrapped securely around her waist, pulling her body tightly against his. They stumbled a bit backwards to where her back pressed against the door she had been attempting to open, her lips clashing with his neither one winning out in dominance. He pulled back for a moment to allow them both to catch their breath. "Don't leave..." He breathed as she seemed to finally begin to catch her breath. She pressed her lips against his pulling herself closer to her by wrapping her arms securely around his neck, his hands found themselves beneath her ass on both legs as she seemed to jump and wrap her legs around him allowing her to carry her back towards her room. Her lips didn't leave his as she used one hand to push the door shut behind them as he carried her to the bed, setting her down as nicely as he could. She laughed as her ass hit the bed and bounced a bit, he smirked as she climbed further onto the bed him following her every move until he was back on top of her, his lips placed back on hers, tasty every sweet inch of her mouth.

His hand ran up her side feeling her smooth skin, as she ran her hands through his jet black hair, pulling on it gently getting impatient with him. His lips pulled away from her lips and went to the soft skin on her neck, her fragrant shampoo filling his nose as he kissed down her neck and onto her chest, he ran his hand down her leg and pulled it towards her, finding his way between them with skill he didn't know he possessed, she seemed to grow impatient with the fact his lips weren't on hers as she let out a frustrated moan as she ran her hands out of his hair and back towards his chin where he felt her pulling him up slightly. He followed her command as he brought her lips back to his. He didn't want to admit it but this was the most he had ever done with a girl, he hadn't had any girlfriends before the apocalypse, and during the closest he had gotten was a kiss from a couple of girls but never being in bed craving the touch of someones body like this. He felt her push against his chest gently but it was enough to prompt him to pull back. She began to push herself up towards him as he found himself leaning over to the bed and allowing her to settle herself onto of him, her legs straddling his waist. He couldn't deny the fact that he wanted nothing more than to begin to remove clothing from one another, but he didn't want to push her to do anything uncomfortable.

She sat straight up and ran her hand throw her hair, and pushed it behind her shoulders, he could tell she was still breathless, just like he was; though in this moment he wasn't sure if he was breathless because of the fact their lips hadn't parted or because he was to busy anticipating what was to come. He found his hands resting on her waist as she pulled at him to sit up and reunite their lips once more. She brushed her lips against his, before moving past them to his jawline delicately kissing every so often leading him to sigh in frustration. The sheer amount of sexual frustration in the room was distracting enough, but the sound of gunshots was what finally broke the two teens apart.

He was taking deep breaths trying to stop his heart from racing as it was currently as she pulled herself away from him and raced over towards the window. "Shit." She said as he pushed himself off the bed and adjusted his clothing to fall back where it was meant too. "You guys need to get out of here, Sir's outpost to the north set off a flare, that means shits about to hit the fan. The Z's down there are probably just the start of a herd." She said as he joined her at the window as if the moment seconds before had never happened. She looked over to him as his eyes glanced out over the street, the men on the roof had shot down a few Z's in the street but she was right, they needed to leave.

He looked down at her and saw her eyes staring up at his he leaned down once more to place a much gentler and less desperate kiss on her lips, it was her who pulled away once more as she walked over to her closet and pulled out her pistol holsters, strapping them on her as he walked over and pulled his goggles back over his neck and slinging his bag over his shoulder before strapping his knife to his waist and pulling his rifle over his shoulder. "We need to get down to the rest of my group." He said as he looked back at her, she had dawned a leather motorcycle jacket that hadn't been cut like her earlier one, she had even zipped it closed, though she didn't seem to find actual pants still remaining in the shorts she had been wearing since they met.

"The Z's wont breach the perimeter, they never do, but being stuck here until a herd passes can be lethal." She said simply as she walked over to the door, preparing to open it.

"Stop, just humor me." He said as he grabbed the handle of his knife and walked over to the door with her, "in case it has." He said his eyes falling on her pistol on her hip.

She sighed before she put her hand on it and drew it from the holster and smirked at him. He nodded as he opened the door, the floor was empty, just as it had been when they arrived, they made their way to the hallway, making sure to cover one another with each door they passed until they reached the staircase door and stopped for a moment, he grabbed the handle as she pointed her pistol to shoot if anything was on the other side of the door, however when he pulled it open she was glad she didn't shoot as the old man he had come in with held up both hands, in surrender. "Don't shoot." He said in a panicked tone.

"Doc." 10k said with a sigh of relief as she lowered her weapon from the older man's face.

"Kid!" Doc shouted as he pushed past the girl and wrapped an arm around 10k. "Thank god, come on Warren and Addy are headed downstairs, there is a giant herd heading this way, everyone seems to be packing up shop." Doc said quickly, "I told them I'd find you..." Doc's words seem to drift off as he looked at the girl who had held a weapon to his face. "And your friend." He said with a dirty smirk that only 10k would allow from Doc.

"Can we hurry this up, I'm pretty sure a bunch of undead fucks want to make us their dinner." The girl said as Doc smirked at her, she went into the stairwell first as Doc held 10k back for a moment.

"You dog," Doc said ruffling the boys hair as followed the girl into the stairwell allowing 10k to take the rear. He rolled his eyes, knowing Doc was going to make a big deal out of this if they got out of it alive. They descended to the first floor fairly quickly only to be greeted by panic that seemed to be lead mostly by the girls of the establishment, the bartender was arguing loudly with Warren by the door, insisting they leave it closed.

Ashlyn grabbed hold of 10K's arm gently, getting him to stop before approaching the mass of bodies beginning to form by the door, "come on, both of you there is somewhere I need to show you." She said as he stopped, he almost began to protest until Doc shook his head and just followed the girl down the opposite hallway they used to get upstairs. She lead them quietly keeping her gun armed and ready as 10K kept hold of his rifle, Doc had gotten a machete possibly from Warren at some point in time since they went to their rooms. "This hall is off limits to everyone but Sir and his men." She said as they followed her blindly, 10K couldn't believe how reckless they were being but then again Doc was often reckless it would have been Warren or Addy who would have lead a protest against following her. She got to a door and knelt down in front of it and pulled a small key from her jacket pocket, "Sir would feed me to Zs if he knew I had this, it is broken but if you line it up right..." She said as she pushed it gently into the lock and as well as small hair pin that seemed to fit in the lock with the key, 10K looked cautiously to Doc who looked as excited as a child with a candy bar. The lock popping free was an almost silent but in the midst of the tension that seemed to be building around them it rang loudly in 10K's ear as she smiled up at him and stood back up before pushing the door on and flicking on the light switch.

It was clearly an old hotel staff laundry room, it was equipped with large metal shelves that used to house sheets and bedding and other cleaning supplies but now stored bottles of alcohol, containers of assorted drugs, and most importantly caches of weapons and ammo. "Holy guacamole." Doc said as he followed her into the room and walked over to one of the metal shelves and began to pick through a tote.

"Men will trade all they have for a night of life pre-apocalypse." She said as she closed the door behind them. "Fill your bags, and grab one of the old bags and fill it too, I doubt anyone is going to need it if it really is a mega herd."

"And if it isn't?" 10K found himself asking as he put his hand into a box of stray bullets, all sort of sizes in one box he let some fall from his hand as he looked back at her as she pulled a duffle bag off one of the shelves on the other side of the room and smiled at him.

"Then I'll just be sure to blame you guys because you all will be long gone." The way she smiled almost set him at ease and he pulled his bag to his front and began pick out a few types of handguns and bullets for his rifle and assorted hand guns being sure to pick up a couple extra clips he could quickly reload.

Doc had been picking though an assortment of old medicine bottles and grinning like a mad man the entire time. "It's like a gold mine in here." He said as he picked another bottle to add to his collection of drugs.

"This is Sir's select stash, they keep some of the other stuff in other rooms. They say before every show that the girls set their rates but really Sir takes it all and gives them protection and food. Most never even see what a man is willing to pay." She said simply as she filled her own bag and pulled it over her shoulder. "Five minutes and we need to get moving."

Doc and 10K began to pick up the speed in which they selected things, after there five minutes pasted 10K had filled his bag and got a spare one made for Warren, while Doc filled his backpack and filled a dufflebag with some random handheld weapons and a couple of sheets to be made into bandages if need be as well as a large bag of z weed. Ashlyn stood in front of the door, a military style backpack on both shoulder and the dufflebag being held over her shoulder, her right hand still holding tightly onto her pistol. "We need to move, there are gallons of gas in a cage out back. You can pull the thinner containers through the bars." She said to which Doc nodded, she opened the door and Doc left first, 10K however stopped her before he allowed either of them to follow him.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked staring into her crystal eyes that seemed to gleam with excitement.

"I like surviving, I don't want to drown in a sinking ship, if shit goes down I am not staying here." The way her hair fell over her face as she looked up to him made him smile. She pushed past him and followed Doc out to the hallway in which h followed suit pulling the door closed behind him.

It was the loud noise coming from the lobby that was the first sign of shit going south, but it was girls running up the opposite hallway that really sold the fact that if their were a metaphorical fan, shit had just hit it. They rounded the corner to see Warren with a gun pointed at the woman who had been running the bar, a shot gun trained on her by the same woman, Addy also had her handgun drawn her bat in her left hand at one of the men who were by the door, Vasquez was holding the man everyone kept calling Sir by the collar a gun resting on the man's temple. It took him a moment but when he spotted Murphy sitting on the bar with a bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey in his hand tipping it up to his lips. "Just in time for the party, another set of trigger happy idiots." Murphy mumbled as Doc crossed over to him.

"Now I am going to say this one last time, we are leaving through that door right now." Warren said in that calm tone she always managed to have.

"Do you not here all that firing outside, if you open those doors them damn Zs are going to know..."

"They already know you're here!" Addy cut the woman off.

"We are leaving or I'll just end..." Vasquez started before the woman began to laugh.

"Go ahead, you'd be doing me and all the girls here a favor!"

"Shelley, if it is as bad as to get a signal maybe we should think about packing..."

"Shut the fuck up Martin, you should just be happy you aren't dead yet." The man names Sir was cut off by the bartender once more, as Murphy pushed himself off the bar and crossed through the dead man's zone between the sides, as he crossed to the door the bottle of whiskey still in hand.

"Get away from there," the bartender turned her gun to Murphy as she did, the sound of a shot fired followed by silence.

The woman behind the bar slumped over the bar, everyone's eyes followed the sound of the shot, realizing it came out of Ashlyn's pistol. "Trey, lower your sidearm and let them leave or the next ones for you." Her voice was stronger than that of a teenager as she held her arm straight out pointing it at the armed men in black by the door.

"Fuck this." He said simply lowering his sidearm. "If you guys want to die, go ahead but I am going to be down here when you open that door." He said crossing past Addy, running into her shoulder as he passed. He walked passed 10K and Ashlyn as he headed towards the stairwell, it was then that the sound of shattering glass made 10K spin on his heels.

The Zs were distracted by the easy unprepared target, only a couple passing him to head towards Ashlyn and 10K. "Puppies and Kittens!" Warren barked as 10K took aim with his rifle as Ashlyn followed suit, providing mercy for the couple that approached quickly. They backed up towards the door, Sir was released from Vasquez's grip when the Z's entered the lobby through the windows in the back of the hotel. He ran up towards the stage and towards where Ashlynn knew he dressing rooms to be, a safe room to hide in with no windows.

Murphy took the moment of chaos to open the front door and slide past a couple of Z's that pasted him like he was nothing more than air. "Murphy!" Addy barked as they all began to take out the Zs that entered hoping to follow Murphy closely behind so he couldn't escape without them.

It felt as if they were being surrounded as 10K continued to back up with Ashlyn towards Warren and Addy with Doc and Vasquez filling in on each side. "Running low on ammo here." Vasquez said simply as felt his shoulder brush against 10K's.

"Head out to the truck, the Kid and I will cover you." Doc said as he looked over to Addy who seemed to tell him she was in a similar situation with just a look. "We are good. Go." With that Warren lead the command to begin the escape.

Doc was next out the door leaving just Ashlyn and 10K, Ashlyn taking care of the Zs coming in the back and 10k handling any that did make it through the front. "We are low on gas." Warren said from the cab of the truck as Doc climbed in the cab.

"That girl said their was a cage of gas out the back." He said, looking to Warren, "and I'd trust her." He made the point in pointing out. Murphy began looking through Doc's extra bag and pulled out a baggie of Z weed.

"We have to wait on 10K." Warren said nodding at Doc.

"No time! We have to move," Vasquez insisted from the back of the truck as a small horde came stumbling towards them.

"He'll see us going around back. Trust me, Warren!" Doc insisted as Warren shifted the truck into gear.

10K watched as truck whipped around the building. "Which way to the back?" He asked as the crowd of Z's coming in through the back of the lobby began to thin out.

"It'll be fastest to go through the hall that leads off from where they built the stage, come on." She said as they crossed the seating area and climbed up onto the stage, giving mercy any zombies that got to close. He struggled with the extra baggage as they made it through the slim backstage passage, though he was thankful it was slim enough that Z's couldn't easily follow. It was then that he noticed she had dropped the dufflebag she had made at some point in time earlier in the cross fire.

She only stopped once, but it was because both of them had a gun pointed at them, shaking as he stood in front of them, the man they called Sir. 10K faced away from him as he began to pick off the Z's that had followed them, one by one down the narrow backstage passage. "Babydoll." The man seemed to almost wimper.

"Sir, you don't need too..." She began but stopped when he raise his gun more into her face. She began as she began to raise her hands in surrender. It was then that she watched as the man pulled the gun back to his head. "I'm sorry." He said simply before firing a single shot. She didn't let it seem to phase her as she pushed past the crumbled corpse and continued on their way into a larger hallway that looked like a service corridor. Through the hallway not bothering to continue to pick off any Z's that followed, he watched her every turn and as she stopped in front of a door. "Good luck." She said before leaning up and placing a delicate kiss on his cheek. "May we meet again." She said before she tried to step away from him.

10k grabbed her wrist in protest. "Come with us." He stated simply to which she shook her head no.

The sounds of Z's meant they were drawing closer and there was no time to argue. Instead he let her go and watched as she continued down to another door and disappeared behind it. He opened the door in front of him to see the truck Warren was driving parked with Vasquez and Doc loading up a couple of military grade gas containers. "10K!" Addy shouted as he ran over and hopped in the back of the truck with her, as Vasquez and Doc jumped back into the cab.

"Where's the girl?" Addy asked, to which 10K didn't look at her and simply picked up his rifle and began to pick of Z's counting each falling body adding to his number letting the guilt slowly begin to wash over him. He could have protested with the girl more, she was down a large amount of her supplies, she was probably running low on ammo by now. He had watched her change clips once already... She was bound...

It was as Warren took off in the truck that he watched the body of a Z fall that he didn't shoot. He looked up to the roof of the building through his scope to see her standing their with one of the guards on the roof rifle, she held up a hand not waving but as a sign of life. He didn't bring his hand up to wave, but he did find himself lowering his rifle. Jefferson City was not going to be a place he would be able to forget.

He heard Doc in the cab through the open window telling Warren about how the girl had shown them the stock pile and how they would be set for drugs and ammo for a good while unless they hit another horde, yet 10k just found himself sitting in the truck bad staring off into at the slowly disappearing city on the horizon.

"Maybe you'll meet her again," Addy said putting a hand on 10K's hand grabbing hold of it and squeezing it gently trying to comfort him. He wasn't sure why he was feeling just a heavy layer of guilt but he also knew that even though the world was smaller than it was before the chances of meeting a single girl again was more unlikely than winning a lottery.


	2. San Luis, New Mexico

Author's Notes: These updates always take me forever to write because they are so long... Anyways I am glad so many people enjoyed part one of Chronicles, please enjoy part two.

* * *

10K hated walking, yet again Delta Xray Delta had found themselves walking along the road into a small town because their last vehicle had died in the middle of a barren highway. New Mexico wasn't a pleasant state to be stranded in during the high heat of summer, but they had been stuck in worse situations in the past. Originally they hadn't even been heading towards New Mexico, but when a horde cut off their original path through Colorado, south they went and into New Mexico which became their new route to California.

"Come on Kid, lets see if we can find some wheels." Doc said as they began to walk down a main road leading into the small town. The barren landscape had made spotting Zs up until they got to the city extremely easy and almost took the fun out of killing them.

"We go together, keep an eye out for Zs, look for a truck, and most importantly look for places to refill supplies, we are getting low on food and water." Warren said as she looked at her group for a nod of understanding. Warren and Vasquez lead the group in a scouting position, Addy and Murphy staying towards the middle she put up with his whining about the heat well enough, while Doc stayed towards the back to remain close to 10K.

10K believed that even though he insisted he was fine after leaving Jefferson City that Doc didn't fully believe him. 10K had met a few girls on their cross country adventure, though most he had only spoken to for a couple hours before they died or left in a hurry to escape Zs; Ash had been different. He had felt the soft touch of her skin, and smelled the sweet fragrance of her hair, in this twisted apocalypse he had actually found someone to be close with for even just a few hours. Then he had left her behind as a horde began to fall upon her position. Her death was pretty much guaranteed, but Doc had insisted that even in the few moments he had spent with her, that "that girl was not going to go down easy."

Warren had lead them towards a fork in the road, that had a diner and some more small shops scattered on both sides. She lead them towards the left, the side with the diner coming up first to parked trucks and cars in the lot, most of which looked as if they hadn't been touched since the start of outbreak.

"Warren!" Addy barked drawing 10K's attention away from the old looking mini-van with the empty car seat in the back, towards the younger woman in their company.

"Puppies and kittens, three o'clock." Warren said as she pulled her pistol from her holster.

"More like around the clock." Doc corrected, as he closed in on Murphy to guard him, even with his Z whispering ways the man was still a coward. 10K jogged up to a corner making sure to position himself to take out anything that could be lurking to close around the corner.

It was as he held his rifle up that he caught sight of the dark hair that came almost crashing into the muzzle of the rifle. "Holy... Don't shoot!" The voice cried as he looked at a girl who instantly sparked a memory in the boy. "10K?" Her voice quietening as she recognized his shaggy dark hair. In that moment the echoing of gun fire and moans of the Zs seemed to almost disappear. All his thoughts raced back to the moment in Jefferson City, she had simply said 'may they meet again' and here she stood, he hair pulled back in a loose and messy ponytail, her face dirty, her clothing a simple old shirt with the sleeves ripped off and ripped jeans. In her hand she held a single pistol, unlike the last time they had met she didn't seem to have any additional weaponry. He almost forgot to glance past her until he saw the movement, once again bringing his rifle up to attention and firing off two rounds past her, as she stood there almost unshaken by his action.

10K heard the sounds of Warren calling asking everyone's condition but 10K didn't respond as he lowered his rifle grabbing the strap and tossing it over his shoulder as he stepped closer to the girl in front of him. "Ash..." His voice was low as he reached out and found his arm wrapping tightly around the girls shoulders pulling her to his chest as she stood in shock still. Though in a moment he found she was returning the gesture.

"Who's..?" Warren began to ask Addy as she caught sight of 10K, surprisingly a good distance off from where the last few Zs had fell. The sight of the youngest member of Delta Xray Delta having his arm around someone was shocking, but the moment he pulled back and she stepped on her tip toes to place her lips against his was even more shocking. 10Ks arm lingering around her waist, hers around his neck, if the two teens hadn't had the guns it would like a scene from before the apocalypse. Two teens kissing on a street corner greeting each other after not seeing one another for some time. "Well then..." Warren said simply as she approached the pair with Addy by her side. Murphy staying close to Vasquez who seemed to still have his gun at the ready even though the danger seemed to have passed for the moment.

"Well looks like the Kid is finally growing up." Vasquez joked from a distance, whistling loudly drawing the attention of the pair and snapping them out of their own personal moment. He began to draw closer with Murphy and Doc by his sides as Warren approached with Addy by hers.

10K pulled away when he heard the whistle from Vasquez snapping back into the reality of the apocalypse instead of standing in his imagination. He looked down at Ash who looked down with a faint red blush growing across her face.

She had kissed him, after recognizing him and realizing that the moment was in fact real, she found her body moving faster than her mind. "I didn't think you'd..." Her words were quiet but he knew what she was intending to say, she didn't think they made it.

"I was sure that..." He replied back not fully knowing how to say he had also doubted her ability to survive horde in Jefferson City.

"10K." It was Warren's voice interrupting their awkward reunion. "Who's this?" She seemed still on edge as she approached the pair with the rest of the group closing in as well.

10K found the words stuck in his throat at first, "This is..."

"She's the hooker for Jefferson City." Murphy said grinning like the pervert he was over Vasquez's shoulder. "You dog." He said with a wink to 10K who turned and used his body to almost block Murphy's view of Ashlyn.

"Ashlyn Harper, ma'am." Ashlyn said stepping past 10K extending her hand to Warren. "We've met before..." She said simply, confirming Murphy's statement without having to directly answer to it.

Warren reached out grasping hold of the girls hand firmly. "So we have." Warren was surprised with the firmness the girl gripped her hand with in return. She pulled away from the gesture and re-holstered her machete.

"I don't understand, how'd you end up in New Mexico, last time we saw you you were on a roof about to be surrounded by a horde." Addy asked the question everyone was thinking.

"It was smaller than it looked, by noon the next day we were able to clear a path to the ground, and get in a truck. We stayed together for the most part but didn't really have anywhere to go so we just started driving. We ended up finding a truck stop on the other side of town. Place was fortified already and the guy who runs it he took us in as long as we agreed to do some work for him." She explained. "I was out scouting a few of the business and ran into a bit of trouble. Took down a few but when you have double digits surrounding you, you run, they cut off my route back to my truck so I decided to try to make it back another way."

"You have a truck?" Warren asked picking up on the words she cared most about in the girl's tale. Transportation.

"Don't you?" She asked curiously looking over the group of survivors.

"Died a ways back, been on foot since." Vasquez answered for her.

"Help me get back to my group and you can have it." Ashlyn's response caught even 10K off guard. "I don't need it anyways, Sarge has plenty of trucks, all he does is fix up junkers. I have two rounds left and I doubt I can make it back on my own." She reached in her pocket producing a metal key. "You get me back to my group, and it's all yours." She said offering the keys to Warren as a sign of good faith.

Ashlyn was no idiot, she knew that to survive compromises must be made even when it is with people you know and spent some time. She was willing to wager 10K, and perhaps the old man, would trust her on just her word, but the others hadn't been there when she offered help last time. Offering supplies just so they wouldn't go to waste in the hell hole of Sir's brothel. Last time she had saw the entirety of 10K's group she had shot a woman dead in front of them and threatened another man. She was not someone she would trust if she were currently in their shoes. Warren accepted the key from the young woman without much fuss simply taking it and nodding accepting the girl's offer without words.

* * *

"Just because the truck is a thing how do you know she is not leading us back to a trap?" Vasquez questioned from the passenger seat of the Ford the girl had lead them to as promised. Warren looked in her rear view to see the truck bed filled with Addy, 10K, and the girl that Vasquez questioned sitting, the girl seeming to hold a conversation with Addy.

"Listen man, that girl was the reason we got out of Jefferson City, she loaded 10K and I up with enough drugs and ammo to last us this entire time with stuff still left over." Doc said defending Ash from Vasquez's doubt.

"Wonder how many of the other hookers made it out." Murphy joked smirking at Doc who just laughed.

While Warren smirked, "If a little girl gets the better of us, then we aren't the right people for this mission."

"Sorry we didn't recognize you, I mean you saved out ass and we didn't recognize you." Addy apologized to Ashlyn as she finished telling her a bit about the escape she had made from the hotel.

Ashlyn pulled her hair that was whipping wildly around her face into a ponytail the best she could as Warren spend through the highway in the direction Ashlyn had told her to go. "It's fine, I mean last time we didn't really get to have a real introduction or anything." She said as she looped her hair through an elastic band she kept on her wrist. As she did she tried her best to keep her eyes off 10k who was two her right, he sat towards the gate of the truck while she sat towards the cab.

She hadn't been sure what to say as they had walked back to the truck, instead she just lead the way answering Warren or Murphy's questions as they came up. He had in turn said nothing to her, though she knew from just their short evening together in Jefferson City that he wasn't much of a talker.

The awkward air between them all originated from him pulling her to his chest after the recognized one another. He was probably just thankful to see a familiar face and yet she had taken it to an entire other level by placing her lips on his. She couldn't take the entire blame, he had kissed her back yet something still felt awkward about the situation.

"So what's the guy's name that runs this place?" Addy asked as she looked further down the road hoping to catch sight of the truck stop's large sign.

Ashlyn took her eyes off of 10K as he smiled at her, catching her looking at him to look to Addy who thankfully she believed hadn't noticed. "Sarge, he was a Sargent in the army or something. His hobby before shit hit the fan was to rebuild old cars, so he runs the truck stop and offers shelter for those who need it in trade for work and supplies." She said catching Addy's smile by the end of her explanation.

"Trust him?" She asked.

Her question felt like a loaded question. "Yeah, but seeing as you guys are toting around such a valuable package. I wouldn't stay long." She was being honest. She could tell her answer struck something in Addy that made her question their direction as she looked back to 10K who just shook his head slightly. Ashlyn wondered if it was a slight communication of if they should tell Warren or not.

In the distance Warren saw the metal reflecting the setting sun, as she pulled up to the gate she found the place to be much more guarded than Ashlyn had lead her to believe. She slowed the truck almost to a stop as Ashlyn stood up in the truck bed, hands raised. "It's me! Open up!" Her voice was loud but so young, it was a sound that echoed through the air in the apocalypse.

"Ash?" It was a younger man's voice as he appeared at the top of one of the guarded towers. Warren looked up along the tall fence and back in the other direction, it was much more like a compound than a truck stop, and it also was surprisingly reinforced. "Who are the people with you?"

"Friends from Jefferson! Just open the fucking gate!" Ash felt the eyes of Addy and 10K on her back as she glared up at Christopher, he had been here longer than her probably only a few years older than her but pretended like he ran the place instead of Sarge.

"Open the gate!" A loud male voice boomed before the gates came sliding open to reveal a burly older man with a huge smile on his face. Ashlyn hit her hand on the roof of the truck and Warren pulled into the fenced compound. When Warren killed the engine the man walked over to the side of the truck and before Warren could even fully remove the key from the ignition he was at the side of the truck offering Ashlyn his hand for her to jump out of the side. "Peanut, you had me worried, three days on your own out there." As she touched the ground the older man went back to smiling at the rest of the group. His graying hair and beard reminded Warren of a jolly drunk Santa from a mall. "Welcome travelers, the name's Sarge. Thank you for bringing my little peanut back." Warren was surprised the man had yet to ask them to relinquish their weapons or really inspected them at all. If they had meant ill intentions for the place they could have already turned the man into a Z. "My rules are simple. You contribute while you are in these walls, and you don't rock the boat. The people here are free to come and go as they please but if you are in here making trouble, you wont be in here long." Warren could tell the man didn't fear them, in fact his welcoming smile was a just like that of a mall Santa, while his military background shown through body language. "Names?"

"Lieutenant Roberta Warren." Warren began before his smile brightened, interrupting her introduction.

"Always can recognize a fellow officer, I was a marine myself, served until they kicked me out..."

"Sarge," Ashlyn interrupted the older man. "These are friends of mine, can we continue introductions later, they have been out in the sun all day with low supplies..." She said her eyes dancing from one end of the ragtag group to the other.

The man let out a deep resonating chuckle before apologizing. "Of course! My apologies lets get y'all out of this heat and into the building, the fans don't keep it cool but its better than out here. Plus we have some pretty amazing cold showers that help with the heat." He turned waving an arm in the air to signal they should follow him, 10K watched as most of the group excluding Doc and Murphy looked to Warren for approval before following him reluctantly.

Addy came up to 10K's side grinning as she wove her arm through his nudging him slightly grinning. "Someone needs a cold shower, huh?" Addy teased quietly, 10K smiled back as they followed the rest of the group trailing behind a bit, he looked through the bodies a head of him to see the messy ponytail bouncing around wildly next to the old man. "You really like this one huh?" She asked curiously smiling with a clear dirty thought dancing through her brain.

10K shook his head, "just nice seeing a familiar face." He answered honestly that turned that dirty smile on her lips into a knowing look, she knew the feeling of familiar; Delta Xray Delta was familiar. They survived everything together, but how often did they ever stumble across someone else they found on the road, 10K could think of a couple times, but not many except the fellow members of Delta Xray Delta.

"It's okay to get close to someone," Addy sounded like the wise elder, or at least she tried too.

"Addy..." 10K started to tell her to stop it as she stopped him with her own words.

"I know you're going to say you know, but I saw the way you lost yourself in seeing her again, I bet you didn't even count the Zs you took out. Just know, it's worth every minute of pain." Addy pulled her arm loose of the younger boy and began to walk faster in front of him to distance herself to leave him with the thought to work through by himself.

He knew she had to mean the past failed romances of the members of their motley crew, Warren and Garnett, Addy and Mack, hell even his own with Cassandra that had never blossomed further than friendship but he remembered the pain he felt when she was gone, how he tried to convince himself that Murphy might have actually saved her, how the fact she was Murphy's slave was alright as long as she was alive and with them, but the more he tried to sell himself on the illusion the more he found himself hurting. While he doubted Murphy would bite Ashlyn in the face he didn't doubt the fact she was likely to end up dead or a Z like every other girl he had ever even smiled at in the past.

* * *

10K was surprised by how kind Sarge was turning out to be, he gave them a room in the truck stop, it used to be a storage cooler, but it was large enough for their group to all have their own spaces without the looking eyes of the people who lived at the refuge. He had watched as Ashlyn melted into the people so seamlessly, like she had been here since the start. Children, who were seemingly innocent compared to most of the children he had seen after the end ran up to her and tugged on her shirt to play with them. Armed men and women stopped her to talk about assignments and posts.

10k's watch must have been noticed by the old man who ran the compound as he sat atop of a truck cab, instictually keeping watch even in the secure compound. "If you want to be on watch I can give you a proper post, ya know?" The old man smiled as he leaned against the hood of the truck. His hands were dark from grease, Ash had been right, all this man did was fix broken down piece of junk so that travelers could leave with them. 10K shook his head, he didn't want to be on watch. He had too. He knew they were safe, at least that is what Warren had told him the first night they stayed but now, on day three he still felt like he needed to be on the look out for threats. "Old habits die hard right? Let me guess, you always volunteer for first watch." Sarge had hit the nail on the head. "I get it, protect the ones you love, protect the ones who protect you. Whatever it takes to keep your family safe." The old man's words were essentially 10K's exact thoughts on the subject.

10K growing tired of the man reading him like a book leaned his head against his rifle. "What's your point?" 10K hadn't intended to sound so short with his first comment to the man since he had approached him that afternoon.

"You know, my Peanut was the same way when she got here. She was with three women and two men. She would stay perched up on the watch tower, waiting for all hell to break loose, then it never did." 10K noticed the man was no longer looking at him, but to the main gate of the compound. "So when her group went to leave, she decided she preferred her perch, watching over all of the people here instead of just her initial companions. I know one day she is going to leave, but until then she is keeping this place running. She goes out on more runs than any of the other supply runners, brings back the most too." He added to his comment. "Sometimes she comes home spotless, other times she is covered in blood and grime from head to toe, but let me tell you, one of those kids runs up and that smile of hers distracts everyone from whatever hell she went through to get that candy bar." He paused before directing his eyes back up to the raven haired boy. "Your friend Murphy told me how you all met back in Jefferson City." Murphy was a loud mouthed gossip who enjoyed the sound of his own voice, of course he would tell the leader of this place anything he wanted to know. "Surprisingly, most people here don't know about that, about what it was like for her and her original companions in Jefferson. I plan to keep it that way." 10K's eyes drifted down to the man's who had yet to stop looking at him. "Understand me, boy?" Eye contact that shot a cold chill up 10K's spine.

10K's eyes drifted back towards the dark haired girl who had his brain racing for the last three days. Sleep had been out of the question, his mind wouldn't shut off long enough. His thoughts continuing to drift back to that moment on the street corner. Addy had been right he hadn't even thought of his count for that moment. "Understood." 10K responded as he felt the old man's eyes hovering on him.

"Good," the old man said slapping his hand on the hood of the truck 10K was perched on. "Now get down from there and turn the ignition so I can figure out whats wrong with this junk pile." The man was back to his jolly Santa Clause tone, and 10K was no longer curious how this man ran a compound so large.

* * *

10K sat by himself after dinner perched up on one of the many trucks when the dark pony-tailed girl hopped up on the truck with him, sitting by his side. "Warren told me you all are heading out tomorrow." Ashlyn said as she sat down. 10K adjusted his rifle to put it on his other side farther from the girl to his right. "I thought I would say goodbye, I am heading out on a run at dawn." She said, his eyes had been cast downward until she said that he actually looked over to her seeing her eyes were also cast down. 10K looked back out onto the compound that was surprisingly sparse on people as they began to file into the different places they all lived.

Ashlyn bit on her lip as she sat next to the boy, "I'm sorry... About in town." She said looking over to the boy who hadn't seemed like he even cared she was sitting next to him. "Addy seems like a nice girl." She said looking away from him, only to hear his voice chime in.

"Addy?" The confusion in his voice meant she would have to continue with her apology.

"I didn't realize you and Addy were a thing." She explained looking back to the boy who's eyes were now intently looking at her.

"Addy and me?" He asked with an inflection of almost disgust.

"Murphy told me at dinner the first night, I thought it was best to keep my distance after that. I just couldn't leave knowing I wouldn't get to see you again with a proper goodbye this time." Ashlyn's tone was so sincere and 10K felt his blood begin to boil.

The only girl that had occupied his thoughts in recent weeks had been avoiding him because of something Murphy said. It was really going to be a miracle if 10K would be able to get him to California without shooting the bastard. "Murphy." 10K managed to spit out through gritted teeth, shaking his head slightly. "Fucking blue bastard." He spit out with just as much venom as he had spoken his name.

He stood up with the full intention of punching Murphy in the face until either Warren or Vazquez pulled him off, when Ashlyn reached out for his gloved hand grabbing hold of it. "Don't." She stated, realizing by his actions that Murphy had probably lied to her that first night. "It's not worth it." She said as he sat back down next to her, she must have realized by 10K's tone that Murphy had lied to her.

"You have no idea how good it would feel though." 10K stressed as he looked over to the dark haired girl who had held his attention from the first second he saw her.

"So just to be clear you and Addy are just friends?" Ashlyn asked with a smile to which 10K nodded in agreement.

Ashlyn found herself laughing much to 10K's surprise, she was doubled over laughing like he had told her the best joke of the apocalypse. "What's so funny?" He asked not seeing what she found so humorous about the situation.

"We met again, completely by chance, yet we only have a few hours again before we are split apart." Ash began explaining, "you would think the end of the world would kill ironic situations but here we are." She finished leaning back onto the roof of the truck. "Ever notice that the stars still look as beautiful and mysterious as before the start?" She asked as he looked over to her.

He thought the same thing, but about her. Her dark hair in the messy ponytail, the dirt on her exposed skin, the way her tank top was loose and worn, all of those things should have taken away from her beauty yet they didn't they just reminded him of how beautiful her hair was, how sweet it had smelled that first night, how beautifully flawless her pale skin had been that was now tanning ever so gently. "Yeah, I've thought the same thing." 10K said before he realized how long he had been staring at the girl, his eyes getting caught by hers lingering on her form and not on the stars above their head.

"Come on," she commented sitting up and standing up in the truck bed. She waited for him for a moment to stand and follow her before she climbed down back onto the black top of the parking lot.

"Can I ask where you are taking me?" He asked with a curious tone followed by a smirk he couldn't manage to wipe from his lips.

"Now what would be the fun of that?" She said grabbing hold of his gloved hand as he tossed his rifle over the opposite shoulder.

* * *

"Well damn, I thought the kids had given up on each other." Doc told Warren as they sat outside of the truck stop in old lawn chairs.

Warren looked in the direction Doc was looking to see 10K and Ash walking towards the outskirts of the compound, the area Warren knew Ashlyn to have set up her own space in a run down old school bus. "Our little boy is really growing up then?" Warren asked the old man with a smile.

"Ever think about asking her to come with us? She is a good shot, we could always use another fighter." Doc pointed out.

Warren shook her head, "I asked already, she told me she has her own mission, and who am I to tell her which mission is more important. She helps keep this place running, this place has children, when was the last time you saw happy children?" Warren asked, silencing Doc's question with one of her own.

"Poor kid." Doc said watching the two dark haired teens disappear from his sight.

* * *

Ashlyn pulled 10K over to an old ran down school bus, he had seen the seats from the bus all around the compound so when he entered and saw it was instead filled with stacks of books, a mattress, and a milk crate with a battery powered lantern sitting atop of it. He wasn't fully surprised. "Furnished it myself." She said with a smile as he placed his rifle down against the railing the blocked the steps from rest of the area. Ashlyn pulled the lever to close the door back as 10K walked over to the old mattress, sitting on the edge picking up the old tattered copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

"I would have never guessed," he smiled up at her as she crossed back to him. As he looked around, he saw she had a back pack filled with all the necessities in case she had to leave in a hurry, a pile of dirty clothing and possibly clean clothing and she had covered most of the windows with different cloth, nailing it the ceiling in places, and just taping it up in others. She walked over and sat next to him on the mattress. "I want to find all of the books, but I mostly just read them to the kids. I remember what happened in most of the popular series." She said as he put the book back on the top of the pile he had pulled it from.

"I never read them." He said simply as he looked back to her, their faces closer than he had initially realized. Neither moved for a moment until she took a deep breath and began to pull away when his hand went up to her cheek. "So," he started not knowing if he actually knew where to go from here. He knew he wanted to kiss her, he had wanted to kiss her since the moment she pulled away from him on that street corner.

"So," she responded back, biting her lip gently. 10K found himself staring at her lips, as he felt her thumb run along his cheek as her hand touched his face, then his attention went to her eyes as she leaned in closing them and closing the gap between their lips.

His hands found their way around her, pulling her even closer to him while one entangled itself into her dark hair and kept her lips pressed on his. This kiss was similar to his first with the girl, an almost desperate and primal need to feel her on him. He found himself pushing her slightly with his body so they both fell backwards onto the mattress, him hovering over her as his lips moved from her lips to her jawline. His actions becoming motivated by the way she breathed beneath him. She seemed to be coming undone beneath him with just the way his lips brushed her skin and the way his teeth nipped at her bruising her skin slightly. "Jesus, ten..." She tried to breath out as she pushed at him and he pulled away giving them both a bit of breathing space.

Ashlyn sat up and pulled her loose worn tank over her head as she stared at him. He found himself shrugging out of his vest as her founds the hem of his shirt and began to pull it over his head. He quickly found his arm wrapping around her as he flipped them around placing her on top of him in a swift and surprisingly smooth motion on the mattress. As his lips reconnected with hers she seemed intent on running her hands on every piece of exposed skin she could touch on him, he didn't want to admit how much just the touch of her finger tips was turning him on as she moan against his mouth as he squeezed her waist in his hands, holding onto her like she could disappear at any moment. He pulled back from her lips, as she made quick work to move her hot lips onto his upper neck. He let out a groan as she nipped his skin gently. "Ash..." He breathed as one of his hands slid up her body until it reached her chin, she pulled back from his neck without him having to do it for her with his touch. "Come with us..." He knew as the words escaped his lips he was going to fighting a battle he didn't want.

"I can't." She said lowering her eyes, refusing to meet eye contact with him. She could, he knew that, the real answer was she didn't want too. He reached up and brushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear as his thumb brushed her cheek. "10K, can we just... Can we..." She seemed to be stuck on her words as their eyes met, her crystal ones were almost shimmering in the minimal light just like the stars had been before they had came into the bus.

"It's Tommy..." 10K admitted as his thumb continued to rub her cheek, he could tell he had upset her with asking her to come with him, but the way her eyes seemed to light up even more when he said his name.

"Well," she said leaning forward to brush her lips against his, "Tommy." She finished with a smile on her lips that he could feel against his own. "We have until dawn," she breathed before he could resist the urge no longer and pressed his lips roughly against hers.

* * *

Ashlyn was pulling on her boots as she looked over her shoulder to see the dark haired boy sleeping soundly on her bed, her sheet draped over most of his body leaving his chest still half exposed. She had decided not to wake him as she prepared for her run, instead she leaned over and kissed his cheek causing him to stir slightly as she grabbed her bag and left the bus as quietly as possible. She saw Sarge standing out in the middle of the lot next to a running closed top jeep. "Good morning peanut." He greeted her as she tossed her backpack into the passenger seat. "Be safe," he told her as she climbed into the driver seat with a weak smile. "It's not to late to change your mind," Sarge seemed to remind her as another person approached the jeep. Christopher was annoyed as he climbed into the passenger seat after having to move her backpack to the back seat.

"We will be back tomorrow afternoon." She told Sarge simply, to which he just smiled at her and nodded. She knew he was offering her a way out to spend more time with the visitors. She knew Sarge wanted her to do what she wanted not to feel like she was trapped their by the community that had formed in the truck stop.

Sarge walked around to the gate and pulled it open and allowed Ashlyn and Christopher to leave in the Jeep, taking off down the highway passing a couple of stray Z's in the distance as he pulled the gate back closed.

"Jesus Ash," Christopher's voice invading her peaceful drive, "did you even sleep last night?" He asked as the girl slipping flipped him the bird. "I'll take that as a no," he muttered before returning back to silence as she drove towards the rising sun.

* * *

10K woke up to an empty bed, the morning air was still slightly chilled compared to the rest of the day as he saw a piece of paper leaned perfectly against the empty pillow next to him, he rolled over and grabbed the note and in a beautiful neat hand writing he read her note.

 _We will meet again. This is just another page in the journey._

 _Ash_

It was then he noticed the note was written on a page from one of the books she kept in her space. He sat up in the bed and ran his hand through his already messy hair with a shake of his head. He was annoyed she had left him again, but this time they had actually gotten their time together.

When he met up with the rest of Delta Xray Delta later that morning he climbed into the truck bed without a word and leaned against the glass of the cab. Warren was thanking Sarge for all his hospitality, Addy was happily settling into the back seat of the truck with Murphy, as Doc climbed into the bed with 10K. Doc smiled at 10K with this understanding look that brought 10K some comfort as he leaned against the barrel of his rifle.

He knew he should be happy that he had just even the night with her, but instead all he wanted was to complete his mission so he could find her again, and this time he would be help her complete her mission so they could just escape together. He told himself he was allowed to be aggravated and upset until the truck came to a stop, and then he would focus on one thing. California.


End file.
